Cognitive and affective perspectives on immersive technology in education

This research explains the rationale behind the utilization of mobile learning technologies. It involves a qualitative study among children to better understand their opinions and perceptions toward the use of educational applications (apps) that are available on their mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets. The researchers organized semi-structured, face-to-face interview sessions with primary school students who were using mobile technologies at their primary school. The students reported that their engagement with the educational apps has improved their competencies. They acquired relational and communicative skills as they collaborated in teams. On the other hand, there were a few students who were not perceiving the usefulness and the ease of use of the educational apps on their mobile device. This study indicates that the research participants had different skillsets as they exhibited different learning abilities. In conclusion, this contribution opens-up avenues for future research in this promising field of study.peer-reviewe

Characteristics of pervasive learning environments in museum contexts

There is no appropriate learning model for pervasive learning environments (PLEs), and museums maintain authenticity at the cost of unmarked information. To address these problems, we present the LieksaMyst PLE developed for Pielinen Museum and we derive a set of characteristics that an effective PLE should meet and which form the basis of a new learning model currently under development. We discuss how the characteristics are addressed in LieksaMyst and present an evaluation of the game component of LieksaMyst. Results indicate that, while some usability issues remain to be resolved, the game was received well by the participants enabling them to immerse themselves in the story and to interact effectively with its virtual characters

Already at a disadvantage? ICT in the home and children's preparation for primary school. (ICT Research Bursaries 2004 - Final Report)

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of socio-economic disadvantage on pre-school children's development of competences in information and communications technologies (ICT). The study focuses on children's experiences of ICT in the home and in pre-school settings in the year before they begin formal education, and seeks to investigate concepts of advantage and disadvantage in this context. The study also aims to investigate teachers' perceptions of children's ICT competences on entry to school

Promoting Big Book and Reading Corner to Support Gerakan Literasi Sekolah (GLS) in Primary School

This study aims to describe the implementation of literacy socialization and training to some of the primary school teachers to support the government action in response to the Indonesian students’ low reading habit, called Gerakan Literasi Sekolah (GLS). This program focused on the English language literacy through promoting suitable material in media, namely Big Book and encouraging the school to provide reading corner to accommodate the literacy source storage and comfortable area to enjoy literacy activity. This is considered crucial since the comfortable area and neat arrangement of book play significant role to attract the students’ motivation in reading, later it is expected that they share about what they have read by listening to others, communicating with others, and writing their idea about what they found. The trainees agree that this kind of event is supposed to be conducted continuously to facilitate the teachers in enriching their updated information as well as creativity for producing appropriate media as a literacy source for the students to develop their literacy skill

Mobile Technologies: Enhancing Teaching in Australian Literature

The purpose of this study is to explore teaching practices which incorporate mobile learning technologies in order to improve learning in the delivery of subjects in the Humanities. The focus is an Australian literature subject offered to students enrolled in a Bachelor of Education. Many students of the `Z generation appreciate the style of learning and pattern of communication promoted by the use of mobile technologies (Green & Hannon, 2007). Podcasts and video podcasts have the potential to engage students interests and enhance learning outcomes. Distinctive characteristics of mobile learning tasks relate to flexibility, autonomy, authenticity. Mobile technologies can facilitate conversations and social networking as well as individualise the access, production and exchange of information. The experience of the `book can be enriched through multi-modality. While examples are drawn from the field of literature, the strategies are relevant to various areas of study and have applications for primary, secondary and tertiary teachers

THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUATING PARENT’S PERCEPTIONS WITH CHILDREN’S HOBBY IN USING ANDROID-BASED APPLICATIONS AS A LEARNING MEDIA

The advancement of technology makes the emergence of various Android-based applications ranging from games to learning media. These applications have become part of the daily lives of children, which cannot be prevented, and it goes naturally. Therefore, children aged 7-8 years need special attention and assistance by parents so that type of children’s favorite application will be known. This research used qualitative method.To collect data, samples were selected using random sampling. This research aims to (1) review the learning media, namely Android-based applications, which are favored by children; and (2) know parents’ perception of the learning media favored by children. The results showed that the importance of equating parent’s perception with children’s hobby, due to the children’s interest to the application as a new media in learning, can provide learning motivation for children. The importance of equating perceptions between parents and children, due to the children’s interest to the application as a new media in learning, can provide motivation and self-development for children.This research is expected to be developed to the stage of researching the education administrator policy toward the correlation with the government policy and the ongoing curriculum.&nbsp

Using Dual-Language Books to Preserve Language & Culture in Alaska Native Communities

“Children learn their language on their mother’s lap.” This conventional wisdom from a Cup’ik Elder describes the approach used by many Alaska Native peoples to promote native language acquisition. Presumably, the children learn by listening to stories and tales from a trusted parent or caregiver. However, what happens when the caregiver does not speak the native language? This chapter describes an effort to address this issue while also promoting better educational outcomes by providing access to diverse dual-language books in Alaska Native languages through the use of a digital children’s library. Potential benefits from these efforts include an increase in resources for schools, a revitalization of Indigenous languages, and an increase in access, with hopes that future work will show evidence that using these dual-language books encourage greater parent support and involvement in education, support second language acquisition, and promote a strong sense of identity. Implications and future efforts follow.Ye

A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiences of Children and Parents with Technology: What Are Real and Unreal Worlds?

We always think of play as something of more of an organic interaction. What if play was considered in terms of technology. This inquiry attended to children and their parents' stories and experiences to find out what is the definition of play from their perspectives and how young children experience technology in terms of real and unreal. Many adults find the technological world quite different from children's perspectives; however, children in some cases consider technology-based games and natural play as the same world. This narrative inquiry attempted to understand what the participants feel, think, and perceive from the concepts of natural play and technology-based games for facilitating the process of learning, and how participants recognized and differentiated between these two worlds. Following the narrative inquiry tradition, I shared my lived experiences and stories with the participants, explained the research questions, and then asked participants to share their stories. Four participants, two mothers and their children attended three research conversations each, for a one-hour duration over three months. They narrated their stories regarding their understanding of the concept of play alone, with friends, or in parallel. Participants also shared their stories about boundaries between two worlds. The experiences and opinions of the participants were similar in some of their stories and different in others. Their stories give the reader and the researcher a deep insight into the perspectives of parents and their children on the concept of play and the world of technology

The Effect of eBook Reading on Overall Literacy Development

This study examined the effect of eBook reading, in contrast to traditional print reading, on developing overall literacy in lower elementary school students. It focused on student motivation, phoneme awareness, word recognition, and comprehension as they pertain to student achievement. This research study is important since it investigated a unique way to implement technology to assist both early and struggling readers. The study was designed to examine the effect of using an eBook application (Raz-Kids) instead of the traditional reading curriculum to engage the students through the interactive activities. The study involved 106 lower elementary school students in a private, Christian school with 96 students completing all assessments required for the quasi-experimental static-group comparison research design. This research study used the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey and the STAR Reading Enterprise assessment to evaluate student progress after incorporating the Raz-Kids application into their current reading program for a six-week period. A MANOVA was used to analyze all of the research data pertaining to motivation to read as it pertained to academic and recreational reading, phoneme awareness, word recognition, and student comprehension. The analysis indicated that there was not a statistically significant difference between the scores of students who participated in the treatment group and those in the control group. Data was collected through these assessments and analyzed using SPSS statistical software

Museum Experience Design: A Modern Storytelling Methodology

In this paper we propose a new direction for design, in the context of the theme “Next Digital Technologies in Arts and Culture”, by employing modern methods based on Interaction Design, Interactive Storytelling and Artificial Intelligence. Focusing on Cultural Heritage, we propose a new paradigm for Museum Experience Design, facilitating on the one hand traditional visual and multimedia communication and, on the other, a new type of interaction with artefacts, in the form of a Storytelling Experience. Museums are increasingly being transformed into hybrid spaces, where virtual (digital) information coexists with tangible artefacts. In this context, “Next Digital Technologies” play a new role, providing methods to increase cultural accessibility and enhance experience. Not only is the goal to convey stories hidden inside artefacts, as well as items or objects connected to them, but it is also to pave the way for the creation of new ones through an interactive museum experience that continues after the museum visit ends. Social sharing, in particular, can greatly increase the value of dissemination